Girl From Nowhere
by blackandblueangel
Summary: A girl comes to visit our favorite BAU Team. They don't know much about her. They know her name is Marie and she's 11 years old, in foster care.
1. Who's the kid?

_**Wow, I finally got this done! This has been taking me forever! I don't know exactly where JJ's office is located on the floor so just bear with me.**_

_**Summary: A girl comes to visit our favorite BAU Team. They don't know much about her. They know her name is Marie and she's 11 years old, in foster care. Spoilers: Every season. Starts during season one with Elle and Gideon, but Emily and Rossi was eventually come in somewhere.**_

_**Disclaimer: Okay, I'm going to say this once and once only! I do not own Criminal Minds! I don't even have them on DVD, but if my sister has it her way than we will soon. I do, however, own Marie and Vanessa.**_

_**Begins after "Derailed".**_

She didn't know why she entered the FBI that day. She was always wandering around the streets, like she normally did when she was bored. No one ever notice a little chubby, raven-haired girl that wasn't there's. She easily snuck past security and walked to the elevator and pushed a random button. Stepping off the elevator, She saw people around attending to their own business. She walked along a railing, looking down at a bullpen. She saw three at their desks: A geeky looking man was reading a book, another man, bigger than the other man, working on paper work, and a woman with a cut on her face just below her eye was in her computer. Other people were walking around, some were in pairs and some were alone. The girl continued walking past a couple offices and walked down a hallway.

JJ was going through some case files on her desk. She had a stack of ten folders on her desk and a bunch of other stacks behind her. She looked up briefly and caught a glimpse of a walking past her office. JJ stood up and walked out of her office. "Hey." She said, trying to get the girl's attention.

The girl turned around and smiled. "Hi." She greeted.

"Come here." JJ directed. The girl walked back to her and JJ led her into her office. "What's your name?" she asked as the girl sat down.

"Marie." She answered.

"I'm JJ." JJ introduced. "Where are your parents Marie?" she asked, noticing Marie didn't have a visitor's pass.

Marie shrugged. "I dunno." She answered.

"Are you here looking for somebody?" JJ asked.

"No." Marie answered.

"Do your parents have a number that I can reach them at?" JJ asked, grabbing her phone from her desk.

"I don't live with them." She said.

"Okay." JJ said, putting her phone down. "Who do you live with?" she asked.

"Vanessa." Marie answered.

Just as JJ was going to say something else, Elle walked into the office. "Hey, JJ, do you have…" she started, but paused when she saw Marie. "Who's the kid?" she asked.

"I'm right here, you can ask me yourself." Marie snapped.

"Right." Elle nodded and looked back at JJ.

"Elle, meet Marie." JJ introduced.

"Hi!" Marie waved. "What happened to your face?" she asked noticing the cut on Elle's cheek.

"Had a little accident." She answered. "You babysitting?" she asked JJ.

"Nope, she just showed up here." JJ answered.

"From where?"

"Haven't gotten that far, yet." She said. "So, Marie, who is Vanessa?" she asked.

"My foster mom." Marie answered.

"How do we reach her?" Elle asked.

"She's at work."

"Was someone supposed to look after you?" JJ asked.

"Yes, Mikyla."

"Does Mikyla know that you're here?" Elle asked.

"No, I don't like her so I'm trying to get rid of her."

JJ looked to Elle, who just shrugged. "Where does Vanessa work and what is her last name?"

"Hernandez and she works at Target." Marie answered.

Elle nodded. "I'll go look up the number and call her." she said, walking out.

JJ sighed as she walked around her desk to sit down. "Marie, why don't you like Mikyla?" she asked.

"She's a bitch." The girl answered, bluntly. "Plus, she is always inviting her boyfriend over and he's a creep."

"How is he a creep?"

"He just is."

"Has he ever hurt you?"

"No."

"How old are you, Marie?"

"Eleven."

JJ was about to respond when someone knocked on the door and Hotch entered. "JJ, can I speak with you." He asked.

JJ nodded as she stood up and stepped out into the hall. "What's up?" she asked.

"Do you mind handling these reports?" he asked lifting the hand with three folders init.

JJ sighed. "Sure, I'll add it to the pile." She said, taking the folders from him.

"Why is there a little girl in your office?" Hotch asked.

"I found her wandering. Her name is Marie, she's eleven. Elle is calling her foster mother." JJ informed him.

Hotch nodded as Elle walked up to them. "Vanessa Hernandez is on her way in." she informed them. "She said Marie has a history of wandering off. In the six months Marie has lived with her, she's chased away five babysitters. Once Mikyla called her at work, Vanessa went home, but Target got her number for me."

"Well, it sounds like there is more than just Mikyla among the babysitters that Marie doesn't like." JJ thought aloud.

Hotch frowned. "Why is she in the system?" He asked.

"She didn't say." Elle answered.

Hotch nodded and retreated back to his office. "Just send Vanessa in when she gets here." JJ instructed.

Elle nodded. "You got it." She said, before turning around and walking back to the bullpen.

* * *

Morgan noticed a Hispanic woman in her mid thirties stepping off the elevator. "Hey Elle, is that the woman you and JJ are waiting for?" he asked.

Elle looked up from her computer and saw the woman walking across the catwalk. "Only one way to find out." She said, getting up from her desk. She met the woman at the top of the stairs. "Ms. Hernandez?" she asked.

"Please, Vanessa." She corrected with a thick Mexican accent.

Elle smiled. "I'm Agent Greenaway."

"Where is Marie?" she asked.

"Follow me, she's with Agent Jareau." Elle assured her.

* * *

JJ couldn't get anything more out of Marie, so she gave the girl a notebook and a pen to keep her occupied until Vanessa got there. JJ continued to work on her case files and Marie decided to doodle. JJ was just grabbing another folder when Elle and Vanessa walked in. "Marie, how many times do I have to tell you not to leave the house without Mikyla's permission or knowing where you are going? Mija, are you trying to give me a heart attack." Vanessa scolded, before pulling Vanessa up from the chair and wrapping her arms around her. "Now, go with Agent Greenaway while I talk to Agent Jareau." She said, after they broke apart.

Marie set the notebook and pen on JJ's desk and followed Elle out of the office. "Please have a seat, Ms. Hernandez." JJ insisted.

"Please, just call me Vanessa." She said as she sat. "I am so sorry about this, Agent Jareau."

"It's JJ, we're not doing anything official." JJ said.

Vanessa nodded. "You would think after six months of her constantly taking off without tell anyone I would be used to it, but she still scares me everytime." Vanessa informed her.

"She said she was trying to get rid of her babysitter. She called her a bitch." JJ said.

Vanessa sighed. "I have been trying to get her to stop cursing and show her some stability, but Marie has been in a lot of different foster homes. Stability is not something she is used to." She said, sadly.

"Where are Marie's parent, if you don't mind me asking."

"Marie's mother was a drug addict and negelectful. She never knew her father." Vanessa answered. "According to her case worker, Marie has been in foster care since she was two."

JJ nodded and opened a drawer in her desk. "If she leaves again without telling anybody, call me." She said and handed Vanessa her card.

"Thank you." Vanessa said, before getting up to leave.

* * *

Marie was in the bullpen with Elle, Morgan, and Reid. Morgan let her on his computer to play pinball with him watching over her shoulder. She was very good at the game, much to Morgan's dismay. "Damn girl, you play a lot?"

"No." she answered, not looking away from the game.

"So, what grade are you in?" Elle asked.

"Sixth."

Their conversation was cut short by Vanessa walking up to them. "Come on, Marie." She ordered.

Marie didn't look up from the game. "Just let me finish the game." She said.

"Now, Mija!"

Marie rolled her eyes and got up from Morgan's desk without pausing the game. "Fine." She walked to Vanessa.

"What do you say for letting hang out with them?"

"Thank you." She smiled and they left.

The three agents stared after them. "Charming little girl." Morgan said.

"I disagree." Reid argued. "She spent most of her time here ignoring us and playing a game. She only gave us one word answers when we asked her question which suggests that charming people…." He paused when he saw the looks that Morgan and Elle were giving him. "That was sarcasm, wasn't it?"

Morgan nodded as Elle chuckled.

**_Okay, well that's the first chapter. What do ya think? Constructive criticism always welcome. But be nice or I'll cry…haha just kidding, I just laugh at your ignorant ass. Since the beginning of this month, I've been counting down my birthday. In 2 day…oh shit, is that the time? Make that tomorrow (2/18) I will no longer be a teenager….Wow….Anyways, later! _**


	2. And She Returns

**_Thanks for the reviews/story alert/favorites…you rock__ Not exactly sure where I'm going with this story. Just taking it one chapter at a time, instead of planning ahead. Let's pretend that the BAU is on the 5__th__ floor._**

_**If you want a disclaimer, press the back button and read the first chapter.**_

It was a normal morning for the BAU's resident genius. Reid walked into the FBI building that morning with a rather large book in hand when a young girl's voice at security caught his attention. "Look, I don't remember her last name." The familiar voice said.

Reid turned to see Marie arguing with a middle-aged security guard. Why wasn't he surprised to see her again? "Look, Kid." The balding man said. "I can't let you in if you can't tell me why you're here or who you're here to see."

Marie groaned. "Are you stupid or something? I told you, her name is JJ and she's on the fifth floor." She argued.

Reid knew he needed to intervene before the girl got herself into trouble. "I can take her up, Charlie." He offered. Charlie handed Marie a visitor's pass and they walked away. "2,300 adults and children are reported missing everyday. By leaving home by yourself to wander around, you are greatly increasing your chances of becoming one of them." Reid warned the child.

Marie smirked. "I made it here, didn't I?" she pointed out as Reid pushed the button calling for the elevator. It didn't take long for the doors to open.

"Yes, Marie, you made it." Reid sighed. "Doesn't mean you will next time." He said as they stepped into the elevator.

"That's what you think." She retorted. Reid decided not to say anything more. Kids think they are invincible.

Once they stepped off the elevator, Elle immediately noticed Marie from her spot in front of Gideon's office door. "Marie, what are you doing back here?" she asked.

Marie shrugged. "I got bored, so I came to see JJ. She's nice to me and Mikyla is not." She said.

Elle sighed. "I'll go get JJ." She offered, before turning and walking away.

As Elle left, Gideon walked out of his office. "Who are you?" he asked the young girl.

"I'm Marie, I was here yesterday. JJ's my friend." She informed him with a smile. Gideon looked to Reid, who just shrugged and walked passed them to go to his desk. Gideon looked back down at Marie. "Those glasses look funny on you." She said, bluntly. Gideon had been reading just before she showed up.

JJ was in her office looking at a newly faxed over case that the local authorities told her was urgent. Looking through the case, she had to agree. This would be a tough one, it involved kids. As she gathered up the file, getting ready to make copies and present, Elle walked in. "Your friend from yesterday is back." She told her.

"What is she doing back here?" JJ asked, putting the file back on her desk.

"She was bored." Came the answer. "She likes you."

JJ nodded and followed Elle. Gideon and Marie were still in the same spot where Elle had left them. Morgan and Garcia joined them in that short time. Gideon and Morgan where silent as Marie and Garcia chatted, smiling at each other. The conversation was cut short when Marie saw JJ. "JJ!" she raced over to the blonde agent, wrapped her arms around her waist, and buried her face in her chest, similar to what a child would do with her mother.

JJ hesitantly wrapped her arms around the young girl in return. "Marie, shouldn't you be in school?" she asked.

Marie picked her head up. "Teacher planning day." She answered. "Can I stick around here?" she asked.

"We have work to do, Marie." JJ answered.

"Aw, come on, let the Little Jellybean stay." Garcia pleaded, smiling.

"This isn't a playground, Garcia." Gideon said.

"Please." Marie begged.

"Maybe when our case is over, okay?" JJ compromised, ignoring the frown on Gideon's face.

"We have a case?" Gideon asked.

JJ nodded. "Yes, it's local. Let me take her home and I'll present when I get back." She said.

Gideon nodded. "Alright, hurry back." He ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Garcia pulled Marie into a hug. "Bye, Jellybean. Here's my number, call me anytime." Garcia instructed, handing the girl a piece of paper with both her cell phone and home phone written down.

Marie smiled. "Thanks, Penny, bye." She waved.

Gideon went back into his office, while Garcia, Elle, and Morgan watched JJ and Marie get into the elevator. "Are you sure giving her your number was a good idea?" Elle asked.

Garcia nodded. "You don't have to be a profiler to know that that little girl just wants a friend." She answered.

The group made their way back to the bullpen to join Reid. "The way she's attached herself to JJ already, suggests some kind of attachment disorder." Morgan pointed out as he sat at his desk and Elle sat at hers.

Reid looked up from his book. "Most children in foster care, like Marie, usually detach themselves from others, especially foster parents, so it won't hurt as much when they are rejected or moved to another home. But it's not uncommon for foster kids to attach themselves too much to someone that showed them the kindness they aren't used to. It really depends on the child and the adult." Reid explained.

The four agents looked to each other. Looks like they would be getting used to Marie coming around.

* * *

Marie was silent the whole way home. Or her temporary home, as she called it. She never lasted more than seven or eight months in a home before. JJ wasn't looking at her, but she could tell that Marie was not happy with being returned to Mikyla. She lived in an apartment complex not to far from JJ's apartment. JJ thought about whether she should tell Marie that or not. If she told Marie, then Marie would be over there a lot. On the plus side, if Marie went there when JJ wasn't at the BAU, then she'd still have a safe place to go. JJ surprised herself when she felt a bond with the girl the moment she wrapped her arms around her. That scared her more than anything. JJ parked the car but didn't get out, Marie didn't move either. JJ looked over at her. "Listen, Marie, stay with Mikyla."

"Why, Mikyla's probably too busy playing tonsil hockey with her creep to notice that I'm gone." She argued.

"Do you like Vanessa?" JJ asked.

Marie nodded. "She's the nicest foster mom I've had." She answered.

"Do you ever sneak off when she's home with you?"

"No, she spends time with me. She taught me how to make flan." She smiled. "She has bad tastes in babysitters."

JJ nodded. "Sometimes, Marie, we have to deal with people we don't like. You can't just sneak away from them, believe me, I know the feeling of just wanting to leave the person I don't like. I'm in the FBI, remember?" JJ explained.

"You must meet a lot of people that you don't like." Marie inquired.

JJ chuckled. "Yes, I do."

"Any of them ever hurt you?" she asked.

"No, what about you?" Anyone ever hurt you?"

"No!" Marie answered a little too quickly.

"Not even Mikyla and her boyfriend?"

"I told you yesterday, they didn't touch me."

JJ nodded. "Come on, I'll walk you in." she said, opening her car door.

Marie stepped out of the car and met JJ at the hood. "Do I have to? Can't I just go with you?"

JJ put her hand on Marie's shoulder. "You can't today." She said.

"Tomorrow?"

"I don't know, Marie. As great as it sounds, I doubt we'll catch our killer by tomorrow." JJ informed her. She didn't want to give away anymore details than that, yet. "I gave Vanessa my card, so she has my numbers if you need me."

Marie and JJ walked up to Marie's apartment. They met Mikyla, immediately after entering the apartment. "Where the hell were you?" the teen yelled.

"Out." Marie muttered.

"You're lucky I don't know your case worker's number or I'd call an tell her that you should be removed from Vanessa's care." Mikyla threatened.

JJ was not going to let her threaten Marie like that. "Don't worry, Marie, she can't do that." She promised. "Go to your room and let me talk to Mikyla and the boyfriend." She said.

"Steve." The guy on the couch corrected her.

"I really don't care what your name is." She snapped as Marie left the room. "I hope you're twenty-one." She said nodding toward the can of beer in his hand. Then she turned back to Mikyla. "I understand that your mad that she left, but don't threaten her like that. Maybe if you and lover boy over here.."

"Steve." He cut her off.

She ignored him. "Weren't so wrapped up in each other, than maybe you would have noticed Marie leaving." She accused.

Mikyla rolled her eyes. "You know what, Bitch…" the teen started.

"That's Agent Jareau to you." JJ cut off.

"Whatever." Mikyla said. "You don't get to judge me." She snapped.

"No, I don't, but you being defensive tells me that I was right." She said. There were some things that you don't need to be a profiler to know. "How long did it take you to realize that Marie was missing? Did you even let Vanessa know?" she asked.

Before Mikyla could answer, Vanessa walked the door. "Mikyla, who is he and why is he drinking alcohol in my apartment with my child in the house?" the woman asked after spotted Steve on the couch. "Have you been drinking?"

"I thought you said you'd be back later." Mikyla said.

"So you thought it be okay as long as I didn't catch you?" she inquired. "Get out, both of you!" she ordered.

"Wait a second." JJ said as Steve and Mikyla tried to leave. "ID." She ordered Steve. He took his wallet out and handed her his ID. He was twenty-one. "How old are you Mikyla?" she asked.

"Nineteen." She answered.

JJ nodded. "Okay, now you can go." she instructed.

They didn't need to be told twice. "JJ, why are you here?" Vanessa asked.

"Had to bring a visitor home." She explained.

Vanessa sighed. "Again?"

"Afraid so. She's in her room."

"Thank you for bringing her back. Would you like some coffee or tea?" Vanessa asked.

"No, I need to get back." JJ answered.

* * *

JJ immediately went back to her office to gather the case file of their new case. After copies were made, she headed to the conference room. Everyone was already in there when she walked in. "When I said hurry back, I meant faster than that." Gideon said.

"Sorry, sir, but the babysitter is a piece of work. Anyway, we're in DC for this one." She said, giving everyone each a case file. "In the last six weeks, six children have been murdered. One child a week. First was Nadine Glass, age six, she was strangled. She was found in a playground near where she lived." She clicked the remote and a picture of a Caucasian girl, with long brown hair and brown eyes showed up on the screen. "Then next week, five year old, Tyler Duncan was found in the swimming pooling of his apartment complex. He had been suffocated before being tossed in the pool." She clicked and a picture of an African-American boy. He had brown eyes and was bald. "Mariana Cortez, age thirteen, found strangled in her on the floor of her bedroom, a week later. She was said to be home alone." A photo of a Hispanic girl, with her shoulder length hair dyed red and brown eyes appeared on screen. "Another week later, ten-year-old Reginald Green was found strangled outside a convenience store in his neighborhood." A picture of a Caucasian boy with blue eyes, wearing a rainbow colored wig. Must be from Halloween.

"Was he there by himself?" Elle asked.

JJ nodded. "It was ten o'clock at night. His foster parents say they thought he was tucked away in bed." She answered,

"The boy was in foster care?" Gideon asked.

"They all were." She said. "Last week, five-year-old Zeena Thompson was found in her living room. She had been smothered." A photo of an African-American girl with brown hair and brown eyes appeared on the screen.

"Where were her foster parents?" Morgan asked.

"They were at a party. They came home and found her." JJ sighed in frustration. What kind of adult leaves a small child that they are responsible for alone? "Yesterday, fifteen-year old Manuel Vega was found strangled behind Dee's Movie Rental." A picture of a Hispanic boy with jet black hair and brown eyes appeared on screen.

The agents looked through crime scene photos. "Are you sure these murders are connected. Other than being in foster care, these kids have nothing in common: Different age range, gender, race." Morgan asked.

"Six murders of children in six weeks is above the norm, but not by much." Reid added. "Washington DC is a big city. These particular area that the murders occurred are working class areas. Five out of the six neighborhoods are drug areas. The only difference is where Mariana Cortez lives. Her neighborhood would be considered the safe area." He continued.

Everyone in the room nodded. "Keep looking guys." JJ instructed as she clicked the remote and a picture of a note appeared.

The other agents each found a copy of the note. "I have freed her. She is no longer a throw away child." Hotch read aloud.

"That was the note found pinned to Nadine Glass. Everyone else had similar notes pinned to them, except Tyler Duncan. Since he was tossed in the pool, the unsub left his note beside the pool with a brick holding it down." JJ explained.

"Why did they wait until six kids died to called us in?" Hotch asked.

JJ sighed. "Locals thought they could handle it."

"Six kids are dead, how is that handling it?" Elle said, leaning back in her chair.

"Were all these kids having trouble with foster placements?" Reid asked.

JJ looked through her papers. "Yes, except for Tyler Duncan and Mariana Cortez. Their foster parents were trying to adopt them." She answered.

"The unsub was in the system." Morgan pointed out.

"Yea, but he doesn't seem to have a type. These kids were difference ages and races." Elle said.

"He seems to have a technique of his own. The kids were either strangled or smothered. And he goes in this order: white girl, black boy, hispanic girl, white boy, black girl, hispanic boy." Gideon added.

"So next is a white girl." Elle pointed out.

"And we have six days to find him before another child dies." Hotch said.

_**Longer than I planned, but longer is good! Not sure when I'm updating next. I have two stories to update, plus another story or two to add to my NCIS series, first. O well, catch ya later!**_


	3. Do I have to Leave?

_**No, I did not forget about this story. Just needed to figure out where to go from here. Most of this story is basically going to be a bunch of one shots throughout the series. If I did a bunch of separate one shots with this the way I am with NCIS, then I would confuse myself. You'd think since I've been planning this story since late October I'd have more planned out, but no, I don't seem to think in order. Haha. Btw, Thanks for the reviews. You guys rock! Another thing, the statistics I'm using was as of 2005.**_

Reid and JJ were set up in the conference room working victimology. There were two different homicide precincts involved, so putting together a profile in at the BAU seemed a lot easier. They'd check with the precincts periodically. Everyone, except Mariana Cortez, lived in the same general area, which meant the same precinct. JJ had just finished pinning the victims' pictures and information up onto the board. Reid studied the board, intently. "Why are the victims so different physically?" JJ asked.

"They could represent siblings or foster siblings from his time in the system. I don't think it's racially motivated." Reid explained, not taking his eyes off the board.

JJ nodded as Hotch and Elle walked in. "How's it going in here?" Hotch asked.

JJ turned away from the board. "Nadine Glass, Tyler Duncan, and Zeena Thompson all went to Wilson Primary School, which is preschool thru third grade. They were all in different classes. Mariana Cortez and Reginald Green were both honors students, but in different schools. Reginald skipped a grade so he's in middle school as is Mariana. Manuel Vega was in high school. The only one with any kind of criminal record was Manuel and that was for stealing a bike. Manuel, Mariana, and Nadine all have a history of running off. Nadine, only being six years old, she was usually found the same day. Mariana was never gone more than a week and Manuel would be gone for a month at a time. Mariana stopped running away when she moved in with her current foster parents. There hasn't been any reported problems with Reginald, Tyler, and Zeena." JJ informed them.

"Have they had any of the same foster parents?" Elle asked.

JJ walked to the round table and sat in front of six small stacks of papers: one stack for each dead child. "Still looking, but nothing so far." She answered.

Hotch nodded. "Okay, well, keep at it." He looked to Reid. "Have you analyzed the notes?" he asked him.

Reid turned away from the board. "Not yet, I'm doing that next." He answered.

"How does the unsub choose his victims? Besides being kids in foster care, so far there doesn't seem to be anything that connects them." Elle inquired.

"These kids could remind the Unsub of kids he cared about." Hotch suggested.

Reid nodded. "I was thinking that until I thought of something else. If these children reminded the Unsub of someone he cared about, then he would most likely have a type." He started. "If you go by the text, he thinks killing foster kids is saving them."

Elle moved towards the board and looked at each picture one by one. JJ set them up in order of each child that was murdered. JJ joined her. "That leads me back to my earlier question: why only target white, black, and Hispanic kids?" JJ asked.

Elle frowned. "Good question."

"Well, statistically, Caucasians, African American, and Hispanic people are the largest groups in Washington DC's population." Reid began. "In a recent population survey, taken this year, there are 515,118 people in DC: 292,445 African American, 166,813 Caucasian people, 45,901 are Hispanic or Latino. Other than that there are 242 are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1,386 are American Indian or Native Alaskan, 7,773 are biracial, and 30,893 are other." He explained.

Elle looked away from the board. "Other?"

"Yes, they don't account for everybody. Any ethnicity they decide not to put on the survey does under other, like Middle Eastern." He said.

Elle nodded. "You, two, keep it up over here. Elle and I are going to see Manuel Vega's foster parents, then we'll visit his case worker if we have time. Morgan and Gideon are at the movie rental place where his body was found, then they're going to the morgue." Hotch said. JJ nodded and went back to her seat as Hotch and Elle left.

* * *

Crime scene tape surrounded the movie rental building and parking lot. Cops, Crime scene units, reporters, and citizens also surrounded the area. Morgan and Gideon stood beside Detective Roy Lancaster. Detective Lancaster was one of the detectives with the case. He led to the agents to the area young Manuel's body was found. He led them midway through the back alley. "He was found here right in front of this dumpster." He said, pointing at the ground in front of a green dumpster. "No sign of the murder weapon, but the ME says he had been dead for atleast an hour before he was found. The note was pinned to his shirt with a safety pin." He explained.

"Did he ever go inside the building?" Gideon asked.

"No one remembers seeing him. The employees won't grant me access to the security camera until they get a hold of the manager." Lancaster informed them.

"Where is the manager?" Morgan asked.

"On vacation. My partner has been trying to reach her all day. I think she's starting to get frustrated." The detective said.

"Anyone see anyone coming in or out of this alley?" Morgan asked.

Lancaster nodded. "Nope, they don't even remember the victim walking in the alley." He answered.

"So no one remembers if he was here with friends?" Gideon asked.

"That would be correct."

"Five kids are dead in your precinct alone and one for another, why wait so long to request our assistance?" Gideon asked.

"Captain hates Feds. I do, too, but I want this son of a bitch caught." He answered.

Morgan nodded. "Has anybody run background checks on the employees?" he asked.

"Not yet."

Morgan pulled out his phone. "I'll get that taken care of." He said, turning around as he put the phone to his ear.

"_Speak, mere mortal." _He heard Garcia's voice on the end.

"Hey, Baby Girl, can you do me a favor and run background checks for all current employees and managers of Dee's Movie Rental." He asked.

"_Ask and you shall receive."_ She answered_. "Now gave me a hard one."_

Morgan laughed. "Track down the store manager. She's on vacation and nobody can get a hold of her. Find the last place she used her credit card."

"_Come on, I said hard. What's her name?"_

Morgan turned to Lancaster. "What's the manager's name?"

Lancaster looked down at his mini notepad. "Diana Rawlings."

Morgan repeated the name to Garcia. _"Okay, I will get back to you."_ She said.

"Thanks, Baby Girl." he said.

"_Aww, anything for you, my love."_ She said before hanging up.

* * *

Marie laid on her bed. She began thinking: she had been living with Vanessa for six months. In another month or two she could be gone. She didn't want to leave, she liked Vanessa. She had a funny way of showing it. Almost everytime Marie left without telling her babysitters, Vanessa had to leave work to go find her. Vanessa's job was now in jeopardy. Maybe Vanessa was better off without Marie. She wondered if Vanessa saw it that way. Marie's thoughts were cut short by Vanessa. "Marie, come on, Mija. We're going to make chicken fajitas for dinner." Vanessa said as she peaked into Marie's room.

Marie smiled and got up to join her foster mother. Maybe she was just being paranoid and Vanessa really did love her.

* * *

Hotch and Elle sat on the couch in the living room of Francisco and Juana Benitez, Manuel Vega's foster parents. Francisco looked pretty shaken up about his foster son's death. Juana, on the other hand, didn't look very surprised. Hotch and Elle could tell who exactly ran this family; Juana did. Her face didn't show any ounce of grief. She looked more relieved. That disguised the agents. They barely said two words to the couple and they could already tell that the woman in front of them was not going to be very cooperative. Francisco, on the other hand, looks like he's been crying for quite a while. He showed genuine love for the dead teenager. Two young boys, no older than ten, ran up and down the halls of the apartment. "Chicos, van a su cuarto, ahora." Juana ordered the boys. The boys immediately left.

"Are they also foster kids?" Elle asked.

Juana didn't answer. "You came about Manny, not them." She said.

"They are." Francisco answered them. Juana glared at him.

"Do you know anyone that would want to harm Manny?" Hotch asked.

"Who knows with that boy! He is always running away and when he's not disappearing, he comes home late at night. He's in a gang." She snorted.

"You don't know that, Juana!" Francisco snapped at his wife.

"Where do you think he goes when he runs away? He don't got any family!" she retorted.

"Mr. Benitez, how would you describe Manny?" Hotch asked.

"He was a trouble maker!" Juana answered for her husband.

"Mrs. Benitez, keep quiet and let your husband answer." Elle ordered. She was glad Hotch was there. Someone had to stop her from smacking some sense into dear Mrs. Benitez.

Francisco sighed. "He was a good kid. He could cause trouble at times, but he was a good boy. He was turning himself around. He told me last week that he finally knew what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to be a doctor." He told them as a couple more tear slid down his face.

Elle smiled. "You really loved him, huh?" she asked.

"He seemed to open up to me more than anyone else. His case worker was impressed." He answered.

Juana stood up. "I'm going to make dinner." She said, walking to the kitchen before anyone could respond.

"I am sorry for my wife." Francisco said. "She is a firm believer in tough love. She and Manny were always at each other's throats. She wanted to kick Manny out, but I couldn't do that to him." He finished.

"How long has Manny lived with you?" Hotch asked.

"Three months, but he ran away for three weeks of that." He answered. "Ah, chico dulce." He sobbed.

"Do you know if Manny was afraid of anyone?" Elle asked.

"He never said anything." The man answered.

"He hasn't received any recent threats?" Hotch asked.

"No."

They nodded. "We're going to go now. I'm very sorry for your loss, Mr. Benitez." Hotch said as he and Elle got up to leave.

Francisco showed them out. "That woman is a piece of work." Elle snarled.

Hotch ignored her comment as they got into the car. Hotch got into the driver's seat as Elle sat in the front passenger seat. "It's 7 pm, DCF is closed by now." Hotch said.

"And its Friday." She pointed out. "Unless JJ has Manny's case worker's number, we going to have to wait until Monday."

Hotch frowned. "That's wasting two days. Let's go see if JJ had any luck with connecting these children."

* * *

Their fajitas were in the oven. Marie loved cooking with Vanessa. Vanessa always gave Marie her undivided attention and they'd be laughing the whole time. This time was different. Marie barely said a word to Vanessa. Vanessa tried to make conversation, but Marie stuck to one word sentences, like she did went she first moved in. "Okay, mija, que pasa?" Vanessa asked. "You have barely said a word since I got home from work."

Marie debated on whether or not she was going to answer. Her debated ended quickly when she decided to answer. "Are you going to make me leave?" she asked.

Vanessa sat down on a chair in the dining room. "Where would you get that idea?" she asked.

"It's almost that time." Marie said.

"What time?" Vanessa asked.

"That time where I usually have to change homes." She answered.

Vanessa's heart broke at Marie's words and the anxiety written all over her face. She grabbed Marie's hand and pulled the girl on her lap. "Mi amor, I am not going give you up." She insisted.

"Really?" Marie asked.

"No, Marie, I'm not. I want you to stay for as long as you want." Vanessa assured her. She kissed the young girl's forehead.

Marie smiled as she realized she worried for nothing. "I love you, Vanessa." She said, wrapping her arms around the woman.

Vanessa wrapped her arms around Marie in return. "I love you, too, Mija. So very much." She responded. The oven timer went off, interrupting the mother-daughter moment they were having. Vanessa got up to get their food and Marie took her seat at the table. For the first time in her life, Marie found a mother and she planned on keeping her.

_**This chapter was going to be longer, but I decided against it. Laziness on my part. I hate proof reading. Haha. Well, let me know what you think!**_

_**Translations (done by an online translation)**_

_**Chicos, van a su cuarto, ahora.~ Boys, go to your room now.**_

_**Ah, chico dulce.~ Oh, sweet boy.**_


	4. Caseworkers are a pain

_**Thanks for the reviews, people. They make me smile! I know, know, know, updates for this story are very slow. Well me and my short attention span are doing the best we can.**_

Hotch, Elle, Gideon, and Morgan regrouped in the conference room with JJ and Reid. Reid tried to break down a geographical profile, but since JJ didn't have the children's full foster home histories, it was impossible to tell if there was ever a point where all six dead children ever crossed paths. He marked all the kids current foster homes and past homes they knew about. He, also, marked where all the murders took place. Nina, Tyler, and Zeena could have met at school, but the other three kids went to three different school. "So she there anything to connect these kids?" Morgan asked.

"I have five years worth of foster care placements. Their caseworkers didn't hand over the full files for Reginald, Mariana, and Manuel. I don't have anything before 2000." JJ informed them.

Hotch frowned. "Why didn't their caseworkers send you everything?" he asked.

JJ shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't even notice until I started looking through Manuel's file." She answered. "I have been calling their caseworkers repeatedly. No one has answered me." She continued, picking up her cell phone to try again.

Hotch took her cell phone and set it on the table. "Try again in the morning. If you can't reach them by noon, then just go over their heads and get a warrant." He directed.

"Or just have Garcia hack them." Morgan joked.

"Let's keep this as legal as possible." Hotch said, showing his dry sense of humor, again.

"Well, I do know that Zeena, Nadine, and Tyler went to the same group home at the same time. They were all removed from the home because of excessive bad behavior." JJ informed them.

Elle rolled her eyes and groaned. "Seriously?" She asked.

"I know, it's ridiculous." JJ said.

"Maybe that's out connection." Gideon suggested.

Everyone nodded in agreement as Reid walked back over to the map on the board. "What is the address, JJ?" he asked.

JJ looked on one of the papers in front of her. "Seventy-five Alans Avenue." She told him.

Reid nodded and marked it on the map with a blue marker. He studied the map intently. "All the murders happened with in five miles of the group home, except for Mariana." He observed.

"Tell us about the group home, JJ." Morgan said.

"The group home takes newborns to five year olds. Once they reach six, they leave." She explained.

"Why were the kids removed?" Elle asked.

"Nadine ran away a few too many times, Tyler stabbed one of the caretakers with a pair of scissors, and Zeena had a history of trying to choke other kids." She answered.

"I thought you said there were no reported problems with Zeena and Tyler." Hotch reminded her.

JJ nodded. "I didn't get that far at that point." She admitted. "Besides the incidents at the group home there is no other problems in their files." She finished, handing Hotch both children's files.

"Alright, let's regroup in the morning." Hotch ordered. "Morgan, tell Garcia to go home. JJ, in the morning, they to get the rest of Mariana, Reginald, and Manuel's files. If they were also in the same group home, then we may have figured out this unsub chooses his victims." Hotch pointed out.

"And we're sure this is a man we're looking for?" JJ asked.

Gideon nodded. "Had to be. Manuel Vega was five foot ten and physically fit. The unsub managed to overpower him from behind. The angle of the rope says that the unsub is taller than him." He answered.

JJ nodded. Morgan sighed. "There's got to be a lot of kids that have been in and out of that group home. How are we going to break it down and find out who the unsub's next victim would be?" he asked.

"We'll figure it out. We'll start with Caucasian girls and work from there." Gideon answered.

Everybody except JJ left the conference room. She neatly put all the papers and crime scene photos in six different folders (one per victim) to make things easier to pull out when she needed to. After all the folders were in her hands, she stopped to stare at the dead kids' pictures. No matter how many cases she worked with dead kids, it never made it any easier. These kids had their whole lives ahead of them, and they were cut short. She couldn't help but think of Marie. The young girl, like most other foster kids, fit the victimology. Her constant wandering around by herself made her an easy target. She hoped the girl would stay safe. "JJ." Hotch's voice pulled her from her thoughts. JJ turned from the board to the doorway where he was standing. "Go home." He gently ordered.

JJ nodded. "Yes, sir." She said as she passed him to walk to her office.

* * *

The next morning in the conference room, Elle was on the phone with Mariana Cortez's caseworker, JJ was on the phone with Manuel Vega's, and Reid was on the phone with Reginald Green's. They were not being very forthcoming. "I think six dead kids and another in danger within the next five days is enough of a reason to send over records." Elle paused. "If you can't give me an answer then transfer me to someone who can." she demanded, dropping her body into a chair.

"Can you atleast tell me if Manuel was in the group home on Alans Avenue?" JJ asked, pacing the room.

"Ma'am, I can assure you that if you refuse, I have grounds for a warrant." Reid threatened, standing by the board. "Actually, there is no state or federal policy that says DCF can only give 5 years worth of records to the police." He paused. "You're policy interferes with a federal investigation." He warned. "Okay, I'll get a warrant."

Elle groaned. "Come on, Lady, since when does DCF not work with law enforcement when needed." She demanded. "Fine, I'll get a warrant. I'll get a warrant for your arrest while I'm at it." She paused. "Obstruction!" she yelled before hanging up.

JJ leaned the back of her head against the wall. "How hard is it to atleast look it up?" she asked. "Fine, I'll get a warrant." She sighed, before hanging up.

"These people are assholes." Elle pointed out.

JJ and Reid nodded in agreement. "I'll call for the warrants." JJ said, walking to her office.

"Get an arrest warrant while you're at it!" Elle called after her.

"Elle, you can't arrest the caseworkers." Reid informed her.

She smirked. "I can try to scare them into not pissing us off again, can't I?"

* * *

Morgan walked into Garcia's lab and sat down beside her. "Hey, Baby Girl, got anything for me?" he asked.

Garcia smiled. "Well, this is a surprise. Usually, JJ's in here with me."

Morgan chuckled. "Do you have anything, Mama?"

She handed him a list of employee at Dee's Movie Rental. "Sure do, Hot Stuff. Here is a list of the employee of the movie rental place and the manager's number is on there, too." She answered him.

He quickly read though the list. "Anyone with criminal records?"

"Five, but one person that comes close to murder." She said. She pulled up a picture of a scrawny looking brunette man. "We was arrested for domestic violence, but was never charged." She continued. "He tried to strangle his girlfriend last year." She finished.

Morgan scanned the man's picture and his physical description. "He's too short to be our killer. Sure, he's a scumbag, but Manuel is five-eleven and this guy is five-ten. The ME said that Manuel's killer is taller than him." He said.

Garcia shrugged. "He was in the system, but that's all I have on him." She said.

Morgan stood up with his phone in hand. "Well, atleast I can try the manager now. Thanks, Baby Girl." he said, putting his phone to his ear as he walked out of the office.

* * *

It was Saturday and instead of finding another babysitter, Vanessa brought Marie to work with her. It was her last day before she went on her paid vacation for a week. Christmas was coming up and the managers of Target wanted employees to take their vacations before December started. Between homework and her walkman CD player, Marie had plenty of things to keep her busy in the break room. Either way, the kid had an active imagination.

Vanessa stood at her register ready to greet the next customer. Instead of a customer with items to check out, a dark haired man with nothing in hand walked up to her. "Hello, Miss Hernandez." The man greeted.

Vanessa frowned. "Do I know you?" she asked.

The man nodded. "No, but I know your foster daughter, Marie." He answered.

"And who are you?"

"Just tell her Morry says hi and, hopefully, I'll see her soon." He smiled.

Vanessa got an uneasy feeling by this man and there was no way in hell she was letting him go anywhere near her child! "No, you won't. I don't know you, therefore, you are not going anywhere near my daughter." She snapped at him.

A hungry Marie ran up to Vanessa to ask about food. "Hey Nessa, can I…" she began, but trailed off when she saw Morry.

"Hi, Marie." The man waved.

Marie stared at him with wide, terrified eyes and backed up slowly. "Go away." She whispered before running away.

"Marie!" Vanessa yelled. She didn't give Morry a second look before turning off her register light and running after Marie.

Marie ran back into the break room. _No, he can't be here. He needs to go away._ She backed herself in a corner. She slid to the ground, pulled her knees to her chest, rested her head on her knees, covered her head with arms, and sobbed. She never thought she'd see him again after she left the group home. Now that she did see him, it brought the memories of things he did to her when she was little back. Things that destroyed her ability to trust until she met Vanessa. Marie didn't notice Vanessa was there until she pulled her into her arms. "It's okay, Mija, he's gone. He can't hurt you." She tried to comfort her. Marie wasn't listening. She needed to escape into her own little for a while. That always helped in the past. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and zoned out. Vanessa noticed Marie had quieted down. "Marie?" Marie didn't answered. Vanessa continued rocking the girl.

"Vanessa." One of her managers kneeled down to look her in the eyes.

"I need to clock out early again, John." She said.

John nodded. "As soon as I saw you and Marie run from the register I had security go after the guy, but he got away." He told her.

Vanessa tearfully nodded. "I've never seen her this way. Most of the time, she puts on a strong front." She informed him.

"Can you describe him? I wasn't close enough." he said.

"Dark haired but a little lighter than Marie's. He's has brown eyes and he's about your height." She explained.

"He have a name?"

"Morry, no last name."

John nodded. "I've called the police. You should file a complaint." He advised.

Vanessa sighed. "Can you clock me out?"

John stood up and walked out.

Vanessa continued rocking Marie. "Marie, Mija, everything is going to be okay."

* * *

Morgan walked into Hotch's office, where Hotch and Gideon where talking. Hotch was behind his desk and Gideon was sitting in front. "Manager's not making us get a warrant. The security footage is all ours."

Gideon nodded and stood up. "I'll come with you." he said.

"Alright, any luck with the case workers?" He asked.

"JJ's working on getting a warrant." Hotch answered.

"Okay." Morgan said. With that, He and Gideon left.

* * *

Vanessa got Marie home. The young girl had not spoken a word since her run in with Morry. She refused to talk to the cops, so they decided to wait. Vanessa wondered if JJ could get her to open up. Vanessa sat next to Marie on the couch. "Marie, Mija, can you atleast say something to me. Let me know you're in there." She pleaded.

Marie finally made eye contact. "He's not coming back, is he?" she asked.

"No, I won't let him get to you." Vanessa assured her. Marie nodded and snuggled against Vanessa. "Marie, why are you so afraid of him? What happened?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it." She said.

"Marie…"

"I said no!" Marie snapped.

Vanessa sighed. She wasn't going to push her. "Okay." She whispered. All Vanessa could do is hope Marie came around on her own time.

_**That's all for now. I have orientation for my new job tomorrow. And OMG! Osama Bin Laden is DEAD! Wow!**_


	5. Who is this guy?

_**Okay, I meant to get this up last week…Sorry**_

Marie pretended like nothing happened. It had only been a few hours and she was dancing around her room with her music blasting. Vanessa was concerned, but didn't press the issue. She was going to wait for JJ. Vanessa knew that Marie didn't let herself get close to many people. For those few people that she did get close to, Vanessa wanted to keep them in her life.

* * *

Warrants for Reginald's, Mariana's, and Manuel's records from DCF granted. JJ did not ask for an arrest warrant, much to Elle's dismay. Since they were aggravated over the phone, JJ, Elle, and Reid went up the DCF themselves to obtain them. Reid watched Reginald Green's caseworker silently hand over his file. The woman than sat and watched him leave without a word.

Elle smiled smugly as she served Mariana's caseworker the warrant. The woman rolled her eyes before turning to her filing cabinet. "Hey, just be happy I don't have an arrest warrant." She said. The woman handed her the file and she left.

Manuel's caseworker already had his file on his desk. He wasn't happy to be dragged into worker on a Saturday, instead of having dinner with his family. He handed JJ the file. "Thank you." She said, kindly.

"To answer your earlier question: yes, Manuel was in the group home on Alans Avenue until '95." The man said. "He was sent to live somewhere else when he tried to suffocated a baby."

JJ nodded. "Thank you for letting me know." Four down, two to go.

She turned to leave, but the caseworker stopped her. "Manuel was truly getting better. I was very proud of him."

JJ smiled, sadly, and left.

Her phone began to ring. "Agent Jareau." She greeted.

"_JJ, it's Vanessa."_ She heard the seemingly anxious voice say.

"Hey, Vanessa, is everything okay?" she asked.

"_Not really."_ Vanessa answered. _"Marie had a run in with a man at my job today. She was pretty shaken up before, but now she's pretending like it didn't happen. I can't get her to talk to me."_

JJ stopped walking. "I'll come over as soon as I'm done with work for today." She said.

"Gracis. You have no idea how much she is scaring me right now, considering how shaken up she was before."

* * *

Morgan and Garcia were sitting in Garcia's office going over the security footage of the night Manuel was murdered. "Okay, Manuel was found at about eleven o'clock p.m. According to the ME, he was dead for about an hour so lets go back to nine-thirty." Morgan directed.

Garcia got the tape to eight-thirty. They watched until nine-fifty-two, when they saw a teen in a hooded sweatshirt walk to the back alley. They assumed it was Manuel since that's what he wore that night. "Hold up, Mama, here he is." Morgan said.

Garcia paused it. "I don't see anyone following him." She pointed out.

"Let watch another fifteen minutes. If we don't see anybody than let go back another hour." He instructed.

* * *

It's official; all six dead kids were residents at the group home on Alans Avenue. They know had their link. Hotch called over to the group home. The caretakers are putting a list together of all foster kids that were placed there from 1987 to that day. He didn't think they would need to go any further back than eighteen years, since no one older than eighteen has been killed. They'd get their list in the morning and they would also conduct interviews of caretakers and children. In between dealing with DCF, Elle, along with Hotch and Gideon, interviewed teachers, friends, and classmates of Manuel. Tomorrow, Hotch needed to interview a couple for teens Manuel was having a dispute with.

Reid analyzed that notes left on the victims and was now Reading witness statements from the foster parents, former foster parents, friends, classmates, and teachers of Nadine, Tyler, Zeena, Mariana, and Reginald, just in case there were more questions they needed to ask.

Morgan met everyone, except Garcia, in the conference room. Everyone took their seats around the table. "There was no one follow Manuel into the alley on Dee's Movie Rental's side of the alley. In the same building is a restaurant, but they have no cameras outside." Morgan informed them.

"So, he could have entered the other side of the alley that happened to have no cameras." Elle said.

JJ sighed. "Think the unsub could have known that?" she asked.

"Manuel's friends say that he was always at that Movie rental, so it's possible that the unsub was, too." Hotch answered.

"Stalking his victims?"

"It's possible, obviously, the unsub has done his homework." Gideon said. "But, no one noticed anyone strange hanging around." He finished.

Elle rolled her eyes. "The only thing his foster mother was concerned with was yelling at him and his foster brothers." Hotch nodded in agreement as he thought back to the interview that he and Elle had with the foster parents.

Reid looked up from the report he was reading. "Mariana Cortez's foster parents noticed a man hanging around their neighborhood. Mariana was afraid of him. They called the police, but he was gone." He told them.

"Did they give a name?" Gideon asked.

"No, they didn't have a name. Mariana knew him, but refused to talk about it." He answered.

JJ frowned. That sounded familiar. "I got a call from Vanessa. Same guy at Target scared Marie, he called her by name. Vanessa, also, said that Marie refuses to talk about it and is pretending that nothing happened. Think it could be connected?"

"If she was in the same group home at one point, then possibly. Not to mention, he wandering off makes her a very easy victim." Reid answered.

"JJ, Marie likes you, so I think it would be better if you talk to her." Hotch said.

"Already planned to." She informed him. "I'm heading there after I leave here."

He nodded. "So, we are possibly looking for a white male in his mid thirties to mid forties. He had dark hair, but the Ramoses were not close enough to see his eyes." Reid told them.

"Well, if this guy is our unsub, then he knew his victims. He most likely met them at the group home." Gideon said.

"But how did he know where to find them? Foster care placements aren't exactly public record." Elle asked.

"We also need to know what his stressor is." Morgan added.

Hotch looked at his watch. "Let's regroup in the morning at seven." He said. Everyone stood up, but Hotch pulled JJ aside. "JJ, call me after you're done with Marie." He said.

JJ nodded and they went their separate ways.

* * *

It was ten o'clock at night when JJ got to Vanessa and Marie's apartment. She wasn't sure if they eleven year old was still awake. She was surprised when Vanessa told her that she was. "On weekends, I just let her tire herself out. Sometimes, she falls asleep early and, sometimes, she doesn't." Vanessa told her as she led the woman to Marie's room. She knocked before opening the door. "Marie, look who's here." She said.

Marie jumped up from the bed and ran into JJ full force, wrapping her arms around the woman. JJ almost didn't keep her balance. "Hi, JJ." She greeted, pulling away and went to sit on her bed. Vanessa left them alone.

JJ joined her on the bed. "How was your day?" she asked.

Marie groaned. "Nessa told you about Target, didn't she?" JJ nodded. "I don't want to talk about it." She said.

"It might make you feel better." JJ offered.

Marie laid back on her bed. "No, it won't." she replied.

"How do you know? Have you ever opened up to anybody?" JJ asked.

"No."

"Then why don't you give it a try?" she suggested.

"I don't want to." Marie said.

JJ sighed. She needed to go a different route. "Marie, were you ever in a group home?"

"When I was little." She said.

"Where was it?" JJ asked.

"Don't remember. Some street that begins with an A." she said.

_Has to be Alans Avenue. _"When did you leave?"

"When I was five. I got kicked out."

"Why?"

"Kept running away. I had to get away."

"From what?"

"Him"

"The man at Target?"

Marie sat up, she knew where this was headed. "Go away." She whispered.

JJ nodded and decided it would be best to give Marie some space. She walked into the living room and joined Vanessa on the couch. "All I know is that she met him at the group home she was in." she told the other woman.

"Well, she told you more than she told me." Vanessa said. JJ nodded. "What am I going to do, JJ? I can't just ignore this." Vanessa asked, tearfully.

"Watch her closely and talk to her. Tell her that no matter how bad it is you will always love her." JJ answered. She was concerned for Marie in more ways than one. One: she was worried for Marie's emotional health. Two: she was worried about the man from Target coming after her like he said he would. Three: Marie fit the victimology of their current case. None of these were playing in Marie's favor. The worst part was, JJ was not supposed to say anything yet. How could she just sit there and say nothing, when Marie could be the next potential victim? "Vanessa, I need you to listen to me." She began. Vanessa gave JJ her full attention. "Keep a very good eye on Marie. Don't let her out of your sight." She warned.

"Is she in danger?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't know. Can you describe to me what the man looked like?"

Vanessa nodded. "He was about six feet tall. His hair was a little darker than brown and he had brown eyes. He was probably a little bit older than me. His name was Morry, but he didn't give me a last name." She answered.

"Do you mind sitting with a sketch artist tomorrow?"

"No need, he's on the security cameras at Target." She said.

JJ smiled. "I'll go up there and get a copy of the tapes."

"This is more than just about Marie, isn't it." Vanessa asked.

JJ nodded. "I think he may be connected to my case." She said.

Vanessa eyes widened in shock. Marie really might be in danger. "Is that why you want me to keep an eye on her?"

"Yes."

"Find him, JJ. Find him before he has a chance to get my baby." Vanessa begged.

JJ made sure to make eye contact. "I promise you that we are doing the best we can. I promise." She vowed.

Vanessa nodded. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you are."

"Don't be sorry, I think I'd be acting the same if I were mother and my child were possibly in danger." JJ smiled.

"If you asked me a year ago if I wanted any kids, I would have said no." Vanessa admitted.

"What changed your mind?"

"I met Marie. I bumped into her while I was walking to the movies, she stole my heart." Vanessa explained.

"She seems to have a way of doing that." JJ agreed.

"I'm going to go to bed. Thank you coming, JJ." Vanessa gave the blonde a hug.

JJ stood up after they broke apart. "Anytime, get some sleep." She left.

Vanessa walked down the hallway and into Marie's room. The girl fell asleep. Tear rolled down Vanessa's face. A lunatic was on the loose and he was possibly coming for Marie. If JJ was involved then he has already hurt and/or killed someone. Vanessa slowly crawled into Marie's bed and held her close. Marie snuggled into her into her sleep. Vanessa drifted off to sleep.

* * *

JJ sat in her car about to call Hotch. _"What's up, JJ?"_ he asked.

"I didn't much out of Marie. She met him at a group home she was in. She wasn't sure where the group home was, just a street that began with an A." she told him.

"_Did she give you a description?"_

"No, Vanessa did. It was the same description as Mariana's foster parents gave, but she got a name: Morry." She told him.

"_Marie didn't tell you why she was afraid of Morry?"_

"No, I'm about to go to Target and get the security tape." She said, as she started the car.

"No, JJ, you're going home and getting sleep." Hotch ordered.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep, Hotch." She argued.

_"Try."_

JJ groaned. "Yes, sir." She said before hanging up. She started to drive home.

* * *

At six in the morning, JJ was up at Target looking for a manager. A well dressed man walked up to her. "You're from the FBI?" He asked.

JJ put on her press smile as she took out her badge. "Yes, I'm Jennifer Jareau. Were you here when a man named Morry approached Vanessa Hernandez and her foster daughter, Marie?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm John. Vanessa was at register five when the guy walked up to her. Marie showed up about a minute later and ran away. Vanessa followed her. I sent security after the guy, but he was gone." The man told her.

"Do you mind if I take the security footage?" she asked.

"Why not? Already gave a copy over to the local PD. Come on and I'll get it for you." He said as he led her away.

* * *

JJ gave Garcia the footage and she blew up the picture and gave it to JJ. It was a little bit fuzzy but it was better than nothing. She showed Hotch the picture and now they were on their way to Victor and Carmen Ramos' house. "You've grown pretty attached to Marie, haven't you?" Hotch noticed from the driver's seat.

"I guess I have. It's surprising, since I just get her a few days ago." She said.

"Are you going to be able to stay objective?"

"Yes, I'll be fine, you don't need to profile me." She answered.

Hotch nodded. "I know, JJ, I just needed to be sure." Victor and Carmen Ramos lived in an upper middle class neighborhood. They saw kids playing in the streets and a couple of parents watching them. They pulled up to the Ramos house. They looked at the sidewalk in front of the house. Neighbors and friends painted messages to Mariana. "We love you Mariana." "RIP Mariana!" Mariana, We will NEVER forget you!" Some of the paint was fading and some of it was fresh. Obviously, the pain of Mariana's murder still weighed heavy on this neighborhood. They moved past the sidewalk and knocked on the door. A middle-aged woman answered the door. The bangs under her eyes told them she had not slept in days. She looked like she had been recently crying. They knew that this was Carmen Ramos. "Carmen Ramos?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, who are you?" she asked.

They took out their badges. "I'm Agent Hotchner and this is Agent Jareau. We're with the Behavioral Analysis Unit branch of the FBI. We need to talk to you about Mariana's murder." Hotch explained.

Instantly, the woman began crying and walked away from the door. Victor walked to the door. "Who are you?" he asked.

"FBI." JJ answered, showing him her badge.

He led them inside. "It's been close to four weeks since someone killed Mari. The police still can't find who did it. My wife and I, we loved Mariana. At first seemed like a troubled kid, but once she was with us for a while, she turned into an amazingly gifted and artistic girl. She loved to paint and draw. She was always smiling and she loved to cook. Sometimes, she'd kick us out of the kitchen and make her own recipes." Victor told them as he led them through the house.

"Mariana lived with you for two years?" JJ asked.

"Yes, we wanted to adopt her. When we asked Mari if she minded, she started to cry happy tears. She hugged us and she told us how happy we made her." he answered. He opened the door to Mariana's room. Carmen laid on the murdered girl's bed, holding a picture to her chest, sobbing. The wall was sky blue, and the ceiling was purple. Paintings hung around the room, her art supplies was on a desk and in a corner was a memorial of messages, pictures, and teddy bears. "The only thing we changed was the memorial. It was originally in the front yard, but we put it in here. Everything else in here is the way Mari left it. Well, most of the way. Mari was painting when we left for work. When she died, the paint was all over the floor and on her leg." Carmen sobbed louder as her husband spoke. The man sat down to comfort his wife, whispering something in Spanish. Hotch and JJ looked around the room. All of Mariana's paintings had a cheerful theme. Didn't have to be a profiler to see that Mariana was a happy girl. Victor stood up from Mariana's bed and rejoined the two agents. "Let talk in the dining room." He said.

Hotch and JJ sat at one side of the table and Victor sat on the other side. "You told the police that a man Mariana was afraid of was hanging around your neighborhood?" Hotch asked.

The man nodded. "About a week before Mari was murdered. Mari wouldn't say who he was and why she was afraid. We called the police and we never saw him again." He answered.

"Is this him?" JJ asked, showing him the picture of Morry.

Victor stared at the picture. He couldn't talk, it took him a good few minutes. "It's him." He said quietly. He stood up as a realization hit him. "Did he kill her?" he yelled. "Did this bastard kill our Mari?"

JJ and Hotch stood up as well. "We don't know. Right now he is just a person of interest." Hotch said.

The man calmed down and sat back down. "Three and a half weeks and that's the most anyone has come up with. Find this man and make him pay for what he did to Mari." He pleaded.

"Mr. Ramos, you should know that Mariana isn't the only child the killer has killed. Five other foster kids are dead. Mariana was his third victim." Hotch told him.

"A serial killer took our angel from us?" tears slid down Victor's face.

"I'm sorry." Hotch said.

* * *

Marie awoke to find Vanessa asleep next to her still holding her. She smiled as she gently wiggled out of Vanessa's grasp, careful not to wake her mother up. She kissed the top of Vanessa's head and left the room.

* * *

Hotch and JJ made it back to the BAU. This "Morry" is officially their only suspect. Hopefully, after the interview with the group home caretakers, they'd have a last name and an address. Time to stop him before another child dies.

_**Well, its longer than what I usually write…..Yay!**_


	6. First and only suspect

**_Yes, It's been forever…..Haven't forgotten. I've been struggling lately, not with the story, but with reality._**

**_I know nothing about how group homes run. I tried looking up an average number of foster kids in a group home, but found nothing that would help._**

**_Warning: This chapter deals with child molestation, but not in detail. _**

After dropping JJ back off at the office, Hotch grabbed Morgan and Elle and headed to the group home on Alans Avenue. The gray house was hard to miss. Toys, balls, and bikes were found all over the yard. The house looked about three stories tall and had a porch that was as long of the front of the house. Hotch knocked on the door.

A middle-aged woman answered with an infant boy in her arms. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm Agent Hotchner and these are Agents Morgan and Greenaway. We're with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI." Hotch informed her as he and the other agents pulled out their badges.

The woman nodded. "I'm Ingrid, come in." she led them into the living room, where five children played. "Kids, how about you go ask Ryan for a snack." She suggested.

A little blonde girl ran up and wrapped her arms around Ingrid's leg. "Can we have ice cream?" she asked.

"Sure." The woman smiled.

"Yay!" the girl cheered as she and the other kids ran from the room.

"Excuse the mess." The woman said. "What's this about?" she asked as she went to pick the toys off the couch with the baby still swirming in her arms. Hotch immediately stepped in to help her. "Just put them on the other side of the couch. She instructed. Hotch did as told. "You can sit." Ingrid insisted as she and the baby sat in a recliner.

The three agents sat on the couch." "How long have you worked here?" Elle asked.

"Since 1989. I came here right after college." She answered. "I live here."

"Do you remember Nadine Glass, Tyler Duncan, Mariana Cortez, Reginald Green, Zeena Thompson, and Manuel Vega?" Morgan asked. "Nadine, Tyler, and Zeena were all here at the same time last year."

"Hard to forget any of them." Ingrid answered.

Elle nodded. "Yeah, I'd remember kids that were kicked outta here, too." Yeah, she was still a little bitter on that part.

"It wasn't my decision." She told them.

"Whose decision was it?" Hotch asked.

"The woman who runs the home and their caseworkers." She answered.

"Were these kids trouble the whole time they were here?" Elle asked.

"Not that I know of. their bad behavior came out of nowhere. There are three floors in this house. Seven kids and two caretakers on each. Each floor has four bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen. I'm here on the first floor." She explained.

"And where were the children in question?" Hotch asked.

"Nina- Zeena-, Mariana, and Manuel were here on the first floor with me and Ren, who is not with us anymore. Reggie was on the second floor and Tyler and Nadine were on the third floor." She explained.

"So talk to us about Zeena, Mariana, and Manuel." Morgan said.

"Nina was put in a foster home last year. She came here at the age of two after her parents died in a house fire. She was such a sweet little girl. She'd wake up every morning, once she got used to the place, and say 'morning, Ingee', before giving me a hug. She was always very helpful. She loved helping me with breakfast." She said.

"How well did she interact with other children?" Elle asked.

"Very well, she was very outgoing." Ingrid answered.

"And when did things change?" Hotch asked.

"About six weeks before she was moved out. She began acting out by getting into fights and throwing temper tantrums. Then the last week few weeks she completely withdrew herself. I thought something was troubling her. I even tried talking to her, but she wouldn't open up. I suggested to her caseworker that we find a therapist for her, but she thought Nina would be better off in a foster home." Ingrid sighed as she rocked the baby.

"Tell us about Mariana and Manuel." Hotch instructed.

"Manuel was very quiet. He wasn't hee very long, just three months. I had no problems with him until he tried to smother the baby." She explained.

"He just did that out of nowhere?" Elle asked.

Ingrid nodded. "Yes, I was very surprised.

"Tell us about Mariana." Morgan said.

"I used to call her Ana. She was very smart, learned her ABCs before she was two and was reading before she turned four. She had her own little world that she only shared with one other girl. She was two years younger, but they were two peas in a pod. All of the sudden, Mariana got violent with anyone who called her Ana. She once threw a block at my head." She explained.

"And that violent behavior is what led to her removal at age five?" Hotch asked.

Ingrid nodded. "Yes, Marie was so upset when she left." She confirmed.

"Marie Walker?" Elle asked.

"Yes, she was three when Mariana left, but she cried every night for a month. After I'd put the kids to bed, Mariana would crawl into bed with Marie. Marie was prone to nightmares. Mariana sleeping with her helped."

"How long was Marie here?" Elle asked.

"From age two until she was almost five. Her caseworker decided that we couldn't keep track of her. I don't really blame her for that assumption, she kept running away. Nadine had a tendency of doing the same." Vanessa answered.

Hotch was about to say something when a red haired woman walked in. "Ingrid, how are you and the kids today?" she asked.

Ingrid stood up. "We're fine, no incidents today." She smiled as she answered. "Linda, these are Agents Hotchner, Morgan, and Greenaway with the FBI." She introduced.

"Yes, I believe it was Agent Hotchner I spoke with on the phone." She said as the three agents stood up.

"Yes." Hotch confirmed. "Do you have the list?" he asked.

The woman nodded and handed him the folder in her hand. "Names highlighted in blue were removed when their behavior became uncontrollable and names highlighted in yellow are kids no longer with us for other reasons." She said.

"Thank you." Hotch said. "We do have another thing to ask you." He unfolded the picture of Morry taken from Target's security footage and showed it to them. "Do you know this man?" he asked.

Ingrid took the photo from him so she and Linda could look at it. "Do you think that he is behind the kids' murders?" Ingrid asked, not taking her eyes off the picture.

"Do you know him?" Elle asked.

"His name is Maurice Masters. His brother lived here to help with the kids. He moved out three months ago." Ingrid told them.

"Why'd he leave?" Morgan asked.

"I fired him and his brother is not to come around here anymore." Linda answered, bitterly.

"Really?" Elle asked. "Why is that?"

"One of the kids, a four year old girl, came to me and told me about Morry touching her." Ingrid told them. "We asked the kids and four more kids had the same story." She continued.

"We had him arrested. There are charges pending against him." Linda said.

"Is that why the brother was fired?" Hotch asked.

The women nodded. "One of the kids told me that he told Ren about what happened and he did nothing." Ingrid answered.

"Mariana's foster parent said that Mariana was afraid of Morry and Marie had the same reaction. Is it possible he molested them too?" Morgan asked.

Ingrid shrugged as Linda answered. "It's possible. We've been asking caseworkers to ask the children that have been here." She said.

"Do you have an address for Ren?" Hotch asked.

The two women nodded. "No, I'm sorry." Linda answered. "But his last name is Myers."

The agents nodded. "Thank you, We'll be in touch if we need anything else." Hotch said.

The agents showed themselves out. "So, this Morry guy is a child molester." Morgan said as they walked down the steps off the porch.

"That would explain the kids' sudden acting out." Elle pointed out.

Hotch nodded as they reached their SUV. "It would." He agreed. The three stood around their vehicle. "Morgan, call Garcia. Get her to track down Masters and his brother. Elle, go with JJ back to Marie's foster home. Try to get her to talk to you. Masters was seen hanging around Mariana's house just days before she was killed. If he's the Unsub and he's stalking his victims, Marie could be next." He instructed. As the three entered the SUV, Hotch's phone rang." He checked the called ID: Reid. "Yeah, Reid." He paused. "We're on our way back now." He paused again. "Alright." He hung up. "Change of plans. Elle, wait until we talk to Reid. He's analyzed the notes." Hotch told them.

Morgan started driving. "If Masters is the unsub, it doesn't sound like he's trying to save these kids." He pointed out.

"He has child molestation charges against him. He's stopping his victims from coming forward." Elle concluded.

Morgan pulled out his phone_. "Speak and be heard."_ He heard Garcia say.

"Hey Baby Girl, I got a mission for you." He said.

"_Is it a fun mission?"_ she asked.

"I need you to track down Maurice Masters and Ren Myers." He told her.

"_Maurice Masters as in Morry, who scared my precious little jellybean?"_

"One in the same. Ren Myers is his brother." He said. "Sounds like you attached yourself to Marie as fast as JJ did." He observed.

"_We've been talking on the phone. She's a good kid_." She informed him.

"Has she mentioned anything about Masters?"

"_Not a word."_

"Alright, talk to you later."

"_You bet, Handsome."_

* * *

The team, minus Garcia, sat around the table in the conference room. Reid had all six notes in two rows of three in the middle of the table. "I doubt his mission is to save foster children. These messages are most likely here to throw us off." He informed them.

"How so?" Gideon asked.

"Mission based serial killers believe in their cause one-hundred percent. I would expect these notes to be written at a fast pace and the handwriting sloppier." He answered, picking up one of the notes. "These were written slowly and clearly, like he wanted to make sure that we were able to read it." He concluded.

Hotch nodded. "Now our suspect fits our profile."

"What's the profile?" JJ asked.

"He's organized and smart. He didn't leave any fingerprints or DNA at the scenes. He took the murder weapons with him. DNA from any other victim was not found on a another victim, so either he washed the rope or pillow or he used different murder weapons each time." Gideon asked.

"So how does the fit with Masters?" she asked.

"He's been molesting children for years, but none of them came forward until three months ago." Elle said. "Usually we'd expect atleast a couple more to come forward over the years. What was he doing to keep them quiet all this time?"

"All of our dead kids' sudden acting out makes sense, now." Hotch said.

"They were trying to get away from their tormentor." JJ said. She didn't need to be a profiler to figure that out.

"That's what it looks like." Morgan agreed.

"Morgan, go check with Garcia. Elle, JJ, go talk to Marie." Hotch ordered. Everyone nodded and left the room to go their separate ways.

* * *

Garcia was not a happy technical goddess at the moment. She was not getting all of her answers and that did not sit well with her. There was one thing for sure, this sicko can run, but he can't hide. Her fast fingers would find his ass and then her dark chocolate was going to beat him to a bloody pulp. She didn't even turn when she heard the door opening, she already guessed who it was. "Hey, Mama, you get anything." She heard Morgan ask.

She spun her chair around to face him. "Not as much as I'd like, Hotstuff. Ren Myers was super easy to track down. I've got his work and home addresses and phone numbers for both, get this, no cell phone. Anyway, I can tell you where he likes to shop and what he buys." She rambled. "As for our child molesting freak, Maurice Masters, I can't find a damn thing! There's no home or apartment, no car, no phone, no credit card. When he's not showing up to scare, most likely, former victims, he's vanishing off the face of the Earth." She went on.

Morgan sat down by her. "We have an address on Ren Myers. If he would ignore a child's cries for help for his brother, than they have to be close. He's bound to turn up." He assured her.

"I do know that Myers paid Masters' bail. Why would a judge grant bail for a child molester?" she asked.

"I don't know, Mama, but we'll find him." Morgan said.

Garcia nodded and handed him a few sheets of paper. "That, my love, is Myers' photo from his driver's license and everything else you need to know." She told him.

Morgan smiled and skimmed through the papers. On the second page, he laughed and nodded. "Last week he brought one of this rodeo crazy bull riding things."

Garcia smirked. "Ever been on one?" she asked.

He let out a snort. "Not unless I was drunk out of my mind."

"So I have a mission." She challenged.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" He bantered.

"A picture of a very drunk and sexy Derek Morgan riding a mechanical bull." She teased.

Morgan laughed. "Good luck with that. Thanks, Baby Girl." He said as he got up and began to leave. "Oh and Garcia." He said before turning around. "No photoshop." He said before leaving. He found Hotch and Gideon in Hotch's office. He knocked before entering. "Garcia tracked down Ren Myers, but Masters is in the wind." He announced.

"Does Myers have a job?" Hotch asked.

Morgan nodded. "That restaurant in the same building as Dee's Movie Rental." He answered.

"Alright, Gideon, go with Morgan to Myers' house and I'll go with Reid to his job." Hotch instructed. The men nodded and left the office.

* * *

JJ knocked on Marie and Vanessa's apartment door as she and Elle waited for one of them to answer. "Do you think that Marie will talk to us?" Elle asked.

JJ shrugged. "She wouldn't before. Maybe she'll open up if we bring up Mariana." She hoped.

Elle nodded as the door opened. "JJ, Agent Greenaway." Vanessa greeted.

"Elle." Elle insisted.

Vanessa nodded. "Come in." she said, leading them in. "Have a seat." She insisted.

All three women sat on the couch. "We need to talk to Marie, again." JJ told her.

"If you couldn't get anything out of her yesterday, what makes you think that you can today?" Vanessa asked. She didn't want to be difficult, but she needed to protect Marie as best she can.

"We have new information, we just need Marie to fill in the blanks." Elle assured her.

"What information?" she asked.

"Well, first off, Morry's name is Maurice Masters." JJ began. "His brother, Ren Myers, was a caretaker at the group home Marie was at when she was little. Masters was always hanging around." She continued,

"And no one thought anything of it?" Vanessa asked.

"Not until four months ago when a four year old girl told one of the caretakers that Masters molested her. They had him arrested. Apparently he had more victims. Police are still tracking down victims. His brother was fired." Elle said.

Vanessa couldn't help but seem stunned and overwhelmed by the news. Marie kept so much bottled up inside. "You think that this Maurice Masters molested Marie?" she asked.

"It would explain her constant running away from babysitters and trying to run them off." Elle answered.

"And why was this bastard granted bail?" she asked, angrily."

"I've been trying to get answers from the DA, but I haven't gotten a hold of him." JJ said.

"Go talk to Marie and then find that monster and make him pay." Vanessa ordered.

* * *

Gideon and Morgan knocked on Ren Myers' apartment door, hoping he'd answer. They found his car in the parking lot so they knew he was there. A blonde haired man answered the door. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Ren Myers?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, who are you?" the man answered.

"I'm Agent Gideon and this is Agent Morgan, we're with the FBI. We need to talk to you about your brother." Gideon informed him.

What about him?" he asked, somewhat, defensively.

"Do you know where he is?" Gideon asked.

The man nodded. "No."

"When was the last time you saw him?" Morgan asked.

"When he cost me my job."

"Funny cause according to your financial and court records, you posted his bail." Morgan said.

"I dropped the money off and left. I didn't stick around long enough to see him." He said.

"You realize we can check and verify that?" Gideon said,

"Go right a head." Myers challenged.

"Do you believe he molested those kids?" Morgan asked.

Myers shrugged. "He's always been messed up in the head."

"So, when some of the kids told you what he did to them, why did you choose to say nothing?" Gideon asked.

"The kids lied. No one told me anything." He said before closing the door.

"Someone's defensive." Morgan pointed out as he and Gideon walked to their SUV.

"And lying too." Gideon added.

"Oh, you picked that up too." Morgan said. "Should we stake the place out?"

"Yeah, let's see how long it takes Masters to show up." He said as they entered the SUV.

* * *

The restaurant was named Little Mexicana. According to its reviews, they have the best Mexican in the city. Hotch never head of the place. It wasn't a very big restaurant, but it wasn't a small, either. There wasn't very many people there, they were probably just opening. They spotted a young brunette woman at the cash register. "Hello, just sit wherever." She smiled.

The agent pulled their badges. "I'm Agent Hotchner and this is Dr. Reid with the FBI." Hotch said. "Is there a manager around?" he asked.

She nodded. "Not here yet."

"Maybe you can help. Does a Ren Myers work here?" Reid asked.

"Yeah, he started last month. He's a cook, but he's off today." She answered.

"It's okay, we have other members of our team talking to him now. Has Myers ever missed work?" Hotch asked.

"Not that I know of. He usually shows up early." She answered.

"Has anyone complained about him?" Reid asked.

The woman nodded. "No, not about him. But someone complained about his brother." She said.

"Maurice Masters was here?" Reid asked.

"Yeah, just about everyday."

"What was the complaint?" Hotch asked.

"He scared their kid. A little girl about four, maybe five, years old." She told them.

"Do you have the complainant's name?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, we keep all formal complaints on file." She answered as she turned to walk to the back of the restaurant. She returned a few minutes later with a piece of paper in hand. She handed it over to Hotch.

"Thanks. Has Masters returned here after the complaint was filed?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, several times." She answered.

The agents nodded. "Thank you." Hotch said as he and Reid walked away.

Reid took the paper from Hotch and read it. "Complainants are Leanne and Joseph Jones, Zeena Thompson's foster parents." He said.

"What was the complaint?"

Reid continued reading. "They were eating and Masters came and said hi. Zeena screamed and threw her empty plate at him before running from the restaurant." Reid said.

"So, that is two of our six dead kids to see Masters." Hotch pointed out. Reid nodded.

* * *

Marie's door was open so JJ and Elle walked in. Marie was on her bed drawing. She looked up when she heard footsteps enter her room. "Hi, JJ, hi, Elle." She greeted with a smile.

"Hi, Marie, can we talk?" JJ asked.

"As long as Morry doesn't come up." She said.

"Do you remember Mariana Cortez, a girl in your group home?" Elle asked.

Marie stood and walked across the room to her dresser and opened a drawer. She pulled out a shoebox and walked back to JJ and Elle. She handed the box to JJ. JJ opened box. There were a bunch of envelopes, she picked up one of them. "You kept in contact with Mariana until her death?" she asked.

Marie sat back down on her bed. "She was my best friend." She answered. "She was finally happy, she didn't deserve to die." She continued, holding back tears.

"You can help her get justice." Elle told her. "Morry was seen in Mariana's neighborhood just days before she died."

"You think he killed Mari?" she asked.

"It's possible." JJ nodded and knelt down. "What did he do to you?" she asked.

Marie sighed. After keeping it in for so long, she didn't know how to explain what happened. "He wasn't so bad at first. He played with us. He used to walk around with me on his shoulders. I loved being so high. One day, he brought me into my room and sat me on my bed. When I tried to get up he pushed me back down. Told me we were going to play a fun game, but I couldn't tell anybody. First he had me touch him, then he touched me. I didn't know what was happening, I was four. But even at four, I knew that if he didn't want me telling anyone, then it had to be bad." She explained. She couldn't hold the tears back anymore.

JJ held her hand. "Its okay." She whispered. "You're okay.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Elle asked, gently.

"He said that Ingrid would be mad at me. But also." She paused and picked up a purple stuffed bear off her bed. "Mari gave me her stuffed bear when she left. Princess Cleo was my only friend while I was there. Morry threatened to rip her up." She said, hugging the bear. "Sound stupid, right?" she asked.

"No." Elle answered. "It doesn't."

Both JJ and Marie stood up and both agents hugged Marie. "How long will it take to find Morry?" Marie asked after she pulled away.

"We don't know. Hopefully soon." JJ answered.

Marie walked over to the window and looked out it. "Will you make him pay?" she asked.

"In everyway we can." Elle promised.

"Then go do it." Marie said, stepping away from the window. The agents stepped to the window. Across the street stood Maurice Masters, staring at them, smiling.

_**Dun dun dun…..Wow a little over 11 pages. This is my longest chapter yet. Now the part I hates…proof reading.**_

_**Okay, I will admit that I'm struggling with I Need Help. I'm not where to go on that one. I'm working on it.**_

_**Not getting my story alerts…..Anyone else having this issue?**_


	7. Caught!

_**Well, that didn't take me as long as I thought it would to post. So, let's see what happens next…..By the way. Vote in the Profilers' Choice Awards hosted by Ilovetvalot and Tonnie2001969. I haven't yet (keep forgetting) but I'm going to! Okay, now on with the story….**__** BTW, I don't own Citi Bank.**_

After seeing Masters, Elle immediately took off running. JJ led Marie into the living room with, a confused, Vanessa. "Lock the door! Don't open it unless it's one of us!" she told them before running from the apartment.

Vanessa did as instructed and walked back to Marie. "What is going on, Mija?" she asked.

"He's here." She answered as she sat on the couch. Vanessa sat down by her and pulled the girl into her arms.

* * *

Elle and JJ made it to where Masters had been standing, only to find that he was gone. No surprise. "Which way did he go?" Elle asked as both agents looked around.

"There!" JJ said, pointing as she spotted him, calmly walking down the street.

They took off running after him. "Maurice Masters, FBI!" Elle yelled.

Knowing he was spotted, Masters started running.

JJ and Elle picked up speed. Masters turned a corner. JJ and Elle weren't too far behind. He gave them a good chase. After about five minutes of sprinting, the agents were unintentionally slowing down. Masters finally made a mistake. He turned a corner, only to find a dead end. He look around a dumpster to find something to arm himself with. He found a broken wooden bat. Unfortunately for him, Elle tackled him before he got a chance to use it. "Get the fuck off me!" He yelled, swirming under Elle as she tried to cuff him.

"You wish, asshole." Elle growled, struggling to restraint him.

JJ knelt down to hold him down. As the handcuffs clicked, both agents stood up, pulling Masters up with them. "I didn't do anything and you can't prove that I did." He said.

Elle rolled her eyes. "Shut up." She looked to JJ. "I don't remember how we got here." She said.

"I want my lawyer!" Masters whined.

Elle kneed the back of his knees, causing him to lose his balance. "Shut up!" she ordered, again.

"I'm telling my lawyer about that!"

"Go ahead." She insisted.

"Police brutality and you're a witness." He told JJ.

JJ nodded. "A witness to what? I saw nothing." She told him. "This is my neighborhood, I know where we are. I'll call Hotch." She said as they began walking.

* * *

Hotch and Reid made it there in record time as Elle was putting Masters in the back of the SUV. Hotch and Elle took Masters to Detective Lancaster's precinct. Reid and JJ went to Vanessa and Marie's apartment. JJ knocked on the door. "Vanessa, Marie, it's JJ. It's safe now." She assured them.

Vanessa slowly opened the door, Marie was right behind her. The woman was shaking and trying to hold it together for Marie. "Please tell us you arrested him." She said, softly.

JJ smiled. "We got him. Since he's a suspected serial killer, with child molestation charges pending against him, I doubt the judge will grant him bail." She assured them.

Marie moved past Vanessa and wrapped her arms around JJ. "Thank you, JJ." she whispered.

JJ returned the hug. "Behave, Marie." She said.

"Can you come back later?" Marie asked.

JJ nodded. "Sure."

Reid tapped on JJ's shoulder. "We should get going." As soon as JJ could peal herself away from Marie's grasp, they left.

* * *

Since Masters was in custody, Morgan and Gideon stopped their stake out and headed to the precinct. Everyone briefed each other on the information they received. Masters sat in interrogation as the team and Detective Lancaster watched him through the window. "We need a confession from him. Being seen by two of the kids before their deaths isn't enough to hold him for too long." Hotch told them.

"We have seventy-two hours before we have to let him go if we haven't charged him." Elle reminded him.

"Think a judge will give us a warrant for the brother's place?" Morgan asked.

"Since there's a witness that confirms that Myers lied about not seeing his brother, then it shouldn't be a problem." Gideon answered.

JJ took out her cell phone. "I'll work on that." She said, walking away.

A well-dressed man walked in. "Where is my client?" He asked.

"Maurice Masters?" Reid asked.

"Yes, you have no grounds to hold him." The man said.

"Wrong." Hotch said. "He tried to assault two of my agents with a bat." He continued.

"If your agents weren't chasing him he would not have felt the need to defend himself." The man argued.

"He was standing outside an eleven year old girl's window, staring inside." Elle pointed out.

"I would like a moment with my client." He said. Without waiting for an answer, the lawyer rushed into interrogation.

JJ rejoined the group. "Shouldn't take long to get a warrant." She told them.

"Good." Hotch said as he watched Masters' lawyer wave for them to come in. "Morgan, go in and try and get answers." He directed.

"Not going to be easy with mommy sitting right next to him." Morgan pointed out.

Hotch nodded. "I know."

Morgan entered interrogation. "Where ya been, Maurice? You are not an easy man to find." He said as he sat down at the table across from Masters.

"I haven't gone far." Masters said.

Morgan nodded. "I know." He said, putting pictures of Mariana and Zeena on the table in front of him. "You know these girls?" he asked.

"No."

"Really, you were seen around them." Morgan told him.

"And?" he shrugged.

"They're both dead."

"Just because my client was seen around them doesn't mean he had anything to do with their deaths." Masters' lawyer jumped in.

"Not just around them. Both girls were afraid. They, obviously, knew you." Morgan snapped. "You can't tell me you forgot about Zeena throwing a plate at you." He continued as he put his finger on the smiling five-year-old's picture. "Do kids throw things at you that often?"

"Don't comment on that." Masters' lawyer directed him.

Morgan sighed. "Fine. Where were you Thursday night around 9:30pm?" he asked.

"At an ATM on Denner Street. My brother gave me his ATM card, I needed money." He told him.

"You realize that if we check that out and you're lying, we can have you charged with obstruction of justice, right?" Morgan warned him.

"Don't threaten my client, Agent Morgan." Masters' lawyer ordered.

Morgan smirked at the man. "Not a threat, just a friendly warning." He said.

"Yeah, right." The lawyer nodded.

On the other side of the glass, Elle turned to Hotch. "I'll check out the ATM." She offered.

Hotch nodded. "Alright."

"I'll go with you." Gideon said. The two walked out of the room.

JJ's phone rang. "Agent Jareau." She answered. "Wow, that was faster than I thought. Thanks." She said, before hanging up. "Warrant for the brother's is good to go." she told them.

Hotch knocked on the window. Morgan came out. "Morgan, Lancaster, and I will go to Myers' apartment. You, two, stay here." Hotch instructed.

* * *

Elle and Gideon found the ATM Masters' said he used at the time Manuel Vega died. They knew that all ATMs had security cameras. They just needed to call Citi bank for the footage. They hoped Masters was lying. "Well, this ATM is across the city from the crime scene. If Masters is telling the truth, then he couldn't have gotten back in time to kill Manuel." Elle pointed out.

"And then we wasted a day." Gideon added. "Lets go to the bank." He said.

* * *

Hotch, Morgan, and Lancaster showed up at Myers' apartment with some uniforms and the building owner. Morgan banged on the door. "Ren Myers, FBI ad DCPD, we have a warrant!" he yelled.

No answer.

"Open up, Myers!" Lancaster yelled.

Still nothing.

Hotch looked to the building's owner. "Go ahead and open it." He directed. The man nodded and unlocked it. They pulled their weapons. "Go back to your apartment." Hotch said to him. The building owner walked away.

The apartment wasn't very big, so it didn't take long to clear. They all cleared the living room, first. Hotch took one bedroom, as Morgan took the other one. Lancaster took the kitchen and one of the uniforms took the bathroom. "Clear!" Hotch yelled. Immediately after he heard three other voices echo the same.

"Hotch!" He heard Morgan yell. "Found something."

* * *

Gideon and Elle were in luck. Citi bank's manager didn't make them get a warrant. Apparently, she had a soft spot for six murdered kids. They sat in security going over tapes from three nights ago. They started at nine o'clock and fast-forwarded until they saw Masters. When they found him they looked at the time stamp: 9:33pm. "Damn it." Elle groaned.

"He's not the Unsub." Gideon said.

* * *

Hotch met Morgan in the other bedroom, with Lancaster not too far behind. As they reached the room, they put their guns back in their holsters. The men looked around the room. On the wall across from the door were pictures tacked to the wall. Now just any picture, but pictures of the six murdered kids. And as if they were in doubt, each kid's name was written below their picture. When they looked to the right, they saw a computer. Above the computer were newspaper clippings. They hadn't read them yet, but they guessed they were articles about the murders. "So they were a team." Morgan pointed out.

"A proud team." Hotch added.

"There's a blanket and pillow on the couch. If there is a second room, then why did Masters sleep in the living room?" Lancaster asked.

"They don't want anything disturbing their shrine." Hotch answered.

Morgan walked over to the news articles and skimmed through them. "About the murders." He confirmed.

Hotch studied the photos. "These a school photo proofs. How did they get them?" Lancaster asked, stepping forward.

Hotch nodded. "Who knows." He answered. "They don't put a new picture up until after they commit murder." He observed.

"How can you tell?" Lancaster asked.

"Because they only have photos of kids they've murdered, no future victims up there." Morgan explained.

"So where is Myers?" Lancaster asked.

"Not at work. Coworker says he's off today." Hotch said.

"Could Gideon and I spooked him before?" Morgan asked.

"I don't it." Hotch said.

"We should get Garcia to look through the computer." Morgan said, taking his phone out of his pocket.

Hotch and Lancaster continued to stare at the pictures. "He must already know that we have his brother in custody." Lancaster said. "Do you think he's out hunting his next victim ahead of schedule?" he asked.

"I think Masters picked the victims out by name and Myers used his connection with DCF to find out where they are. Masters watched them the weeks they were killed and either Myers acted alone in the killings or Masters was there and helped too. I believe Myers knows who his next victim is." Hotch told him, taking his phone out.

* * *

JJ was talking to Hotch on her phone while she and Reid stared at Masters through the glass. "Okay and Elle said that Masters' alibi checked out." She told him. "Alright." She hung up. She looked to Reid. "We got him." She told him before walking into interrogation. "On one hand, your alibi checks out, but on the other, our team found your shrine." She said.

"What shrine?" Master lawyer asked.

"The one found in your client's brother's spare room." She answered.

Masters shrugged. "Doesn't matter." He said.

"Maurice, don't say anything." His lawyer advised.

"It's too late for the next victim." He said.

JJ and Reid looked to each other. "Marie." JJ whispered, before running from the room with Reid in tow.

* * *

Marie and Vanessa had just finished a movie. Vanessa carried an empty bowl that used to have popcorn in it, into the kitchen while Marie looked for another movie. "No scary ones, Mija." She reminded her. She felt like she had enough scares for one week.

"Do we have ice cream?" Marie called from the living room.

Vanessa opened to freezer and looked inside. "No, I'll go shopping tomorrow. Okay?"

"Okay." Marie called.

Vanessa walked into the living room. "Did you check the mail today?" she asked.

Marie nodded. "No, got distracted." She reminded her.

"Right. Well, can you go check it, por favor?" Vanessa asked.

Marie got up and walked out of the apartment. It wasn't a very far walk to the mailboxes, just down the stairs and around the corner. She was in front of the mailboxes when she heard someone behind her. Before she could see who it was, she felt something wrapped tightly around her neck from behind. She tried to fight away, but it was no use. She couldn't get lose. She couldn't breath and she was getting dizzy.

_**Yes, ****cliffh****anger….Dun dun dun**_….And look at that, it didn't take me three months to post .


	8. It's over

_**Boo hoo, no reviews last chapter. O well, maybe it was the cliff hanger…..on with the story! BTW, I don't own the movie How to Lose A Guy in Ten Days. Great movie, though.**_

Vanessa was looking through the DVDs that Marie picked out for them to watch. They had been watching movies since JJ left. They've watched a variety of movies, except horror movies. She picked up _How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days _and put it in the DVD player. After pausing the movie, she sat on the couch. She looked at the coffee table and noticed the key to their mailbox there. Vanessa chuckled. Marie could be a forgetful little girl sometimes. Vanessa stood, grabbed the key, and walked out of the apartment to catch up with Marie.

* * *

Kicking back at the unknown person blocking her airway was useless. She was desperate to get herself free. She was very dizzy and getting weak. Just when she thought she was going to die, she heard a woman scream, then the person lost their hold on her. She felt herself fall forward. As she hit the ground, Marie gasped and coughed, taking in much needed air. As soon she recovered, Marie stood up and turned around to see Vanessa struggling with Ren Myers. "Nessa!" she called, hoarsely.

"Marie! Run, Mija, run!" Vanessa yelled.

Marie didn't want to leave Vanessa behind, but she needed to get help. She needed to call JJ. She ran up the stairs and into their apartment.

Myers pulled Vanessa in front of him by her hair. He punched her in her face, knocked her to the ground. As he was about to kick her in the stomach, she caught his ankle, tripping him. She quickly stood up and tried to run to her apartment. She made it to the stairs, before screaming as he pushed her down. Her forehead hit the stairs, hard. Ignoring the pain and dizziness, she rolled over and faced him. He was reaching for her when gunshots filled the air and Myers flinched. He fell forward, his body just barely missing hers as he landed on the stairs.

Vanessa sat up and saw JJ and Reid reholstering their weapons. Reid ran to check on Myers, while JJ helped, a sobbing and shaking, Vanessa up. Reid put two fingers on Myers neck. "He's dead." He announced.

"Good!" Vanessa sobbed as JJ nodded. JJ noticed a bump on her forehead. She tried to check it out, but the slightly older woman turned and sprinted up the stairs. JJ quickly followed as the rest of the team and Detective Lancaster showed up. Elle and Morgan followed up the stairs, while Reid, Hotch, Gideon, and Lancaster stayed with Myers' body. The team leaders studied the body. He had two gun shot wounds to his back. "What happened." Hotch asked.

"He was attacking Vanessa. JJ and I just reacted." Reid answered.

Hotch nodded as they looked around. They spotted a yellow rope on the ground. "After Masters was arrested, he must have known his time was limited." Gideon theorized. The men nodded in agreement.

* * *

Vanessa made it to the apartment first, calling Marie's name. They all ran into Marie's room. Morgan looked under her bed, while Vanessa checked the closet. She found Marie lying on the floor cuddling her bear tightly to her chest, sobbing quietly. The phone she used to call JJ laid beside her. Vanessa sat down and scooped the girl into her arms. "It's okay, Mija. He can't hurt you anymore." She tried to soothe her, while rocking her.

JJ knelt down beside them. "Marie, can you look at me?" She asked, softly. Marie lifted her head from Vanessa's shoulder and looked at JJ with red puffy eyes, tears running down her face. JJ noticed the red mark around her neck that would mostly likely bruise. "It's over." She simply stated. Marie nodded and rested her head back on Vanessa's shoulder.

* * *

The team, minus JJ and Hotch, sat around the round table in the conference room. They stared at the pictures of the six dead kids. Another case solved and they managed to save two lives in the process. Usually they would consider that a victory, but they couldn't help but think of the six kids lost before they got involved. Mariana and Reginald finally got the good families they deserved. Reginald even had a sibling. Manuel was starting to find his way. Nadine, Tyler, and Zeena were so young and just waned to be loved. Before heading back to his precinct, Lancaster thanked the agents for getting two killers off the street. Ren Myers was dead. A man that spent nearly twenty years caring for small children, threw it all away to keep is pedophile little brother out of prison. The agents felt no pity. He made his choice and he can burn in hell with it. As for Maurice Masters, between his role in the murders of six children and four counts (and still counting) of child molestation, they doubted he was ever getting out of prison. They would make sure he never saw the light of day for the rest of his natural life. Considering how hated child molesters are in prison, they didn't think that he would live much longer. Morgan and Elle said good riddance; everyone else agreed.

After twenty minutes of not talking and staying deep in thought while staring at the pictures, Gideon stood up and started to take everything down.

* * *

Hotch pulled up to the Ramos' home. He wanted to tell them, himself, that they got their daughter's killers. Stepping out of the SUV, he noticed more messages to Mariana on the sidewalk. After taking a minute to read them, he continued the short walk to the door and knocked. Victor opened the door almost immediately. "Hello, Agent Hotchner." He greeted, holding out his hand.

Hotch shook it. "Hello, Mr. Ramos, I have news for you and your wife.." he told him.

The man nodded and led Hotch inside. Carmen was sitting on the couch, but stood up when she saw her husband and Hotch enter the living room. "Agent Hotchner." She greeted.

Hotch didn't waste time and got to the point. "We got the men that killed Mariana." He paused when he heard Carmen gasp. Victor wrapped his arms around his wife. Hotch continued. "One was killed a couple hours ago and the other is in custody. With the charges of six murders and his previous charges, I doubt he'll even make bail." He finished.

Carmen sighed in relief. "What are their names?" she asked in a whisper.

"Maurice Masters and Ren Myers. They're brothers. Masters was the man you saw in front of your house a few days before Mariana died. Myers was a caretaker at the group home Mariana was in when she was little." He answered.

"Why did they kill Mari?" Victor asked.

"To prevent Masters from more prison time." Hotch answered.

"I don't understand." Carmen said.

Hotch nodded. "You may never understand. Mariana's death was senseless. She was so young and had her whole life ahead of her. Thanks to you, she had a great life ahead of her. You showed her love, and that's how you made an unhappy little girl very happy. Focusing on why she's gone and trying to understand will kill you inside. Even I don't understand most of the time. Focus on how much you love her and help each other." He told them.

Carmen began to sob in her husband's arms before pulling away and wrapping her arms around Hotch. "Thank you." She sobbed. Hotch wrapped his arms around her in return.

* * *

JJ had gone with Marie and Vanessa to the hospital. Bruises had formed around Marie's neck and she was instructed to keep talking to a minimum for the next day or so. Vanessa had a mild concussion from when her head made harsh contact with the steps. She also had a nasty bruise to go with it. The doctor ordered her not to be home alone for the next twenty-four hours. She needed someone other than Marie staying there. That was one reason why JJ went home with them. Another reason was that she wanted to be sure that Marie would be alright. She thought back to the car ride over to the apartment with Reid. She remembered Marie's terrified voice on the phone.

It was ten o'clock at night, but no one felt like sleeping. One, Vanessa wasn't allowed to sleep for more than an hour, which meant, neither could JJ. Marie just didn't feel like sleeping. She was still too worked up. A movie played, but they didn't pay any attention to it. They sat ob the couch. Marie rested her head on Vanessa's shoulder as JJ held her hand. For now, they sat in silence.

_**Well, I'm not ending the story here. As I mentioned in another chapter, this story will have a bunch of oneshots with a few storylines thrown in. I may, however, put this story and my other stories on hiatus. I haven't decided yet. Life has really had me down lately.**_


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